Group Persuasive Presentation
Persuasion in Selling: Using Monroe's Motivated Sequence
Time: 15 minutes (12 minutes speaking, 3 minutes Q &A)
Points:
50 points for individual portion of speech
20 points for overall group grade
15 points for speech outline (individual portion) Each group member must submit
a separate outline for his/her 3 minute portion of the speech.
Instructions:
Student groups (of approx. 4 students each) will need to create a product or service that has not
yet been developed and create a persuasive presentation to convince the audience members to
buy it. Think of something you always wished you could develop and present on “Shark Tank” now is the time for you to be creative!! The idea to create a new product or service on the
market is to create a “need” for the audience and propose a “solution” (your product or service)
and sell it to your audience. Student groups will use Monroe's Motivated Sequence as a guide
for developing their persuasive speech. In order for students to make the most of Monroe's
Motivated Sequence, the steps should be followed in order.
The sequence closely resembles a problem-solution organizational format but digresses from
linear logic in several ways. In the attention step, the structure tends to deviate from linearity by
noting potential objections and dispelling audience concerns or problems with a solution. The
most critical principle in Monroe's sequence is the identification of the audience's needs before
proposing a solution. The following is a skeleton outline of this sequence:
Monroe's Motivated Sequence (problem-solution format)
1. Gain the audience's attention: Attention-getters grab the audience, arousing curiosity about
what the speaker is going to say. To help avoid the effects of psychological reactance, the
preview statement should be omitted.
2. Identify unfulfilled needs: The speaker must establish a clear, urgent, and unfulfilled need
in the mind of the audience. This is a critical step in the sequence. No solutions should be
proposed during this stage.
3. Propose a solution that satisfies (Your new product or service!): Present the solution to
the needs or problems described in step two. During this stage, speakers must also identify and
eliminate possible objections to the solution.
4. Visualize the resulting satisfaction: Intensify audience members' desire for the solution by
getting them to visualize what their lives will be like once they've adopted it. Use vivid images
and verbal illustrations to support the benefits of the proposed solution.
5. Define specific actions: In the final step, the speaker must turn the audience's agreement
and commitment into positive action. Tell audience members what they need to do to obtain the
described solution and its benefits.
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Project adapted from: O’Hair et al.
http://www.macmillanhighered.com/catalog/static/bsm/publicspeaking/pers.html#persuasion